Containment

Our former quarterly reports on ASTM Standards and Work Items updates are now monthly to keep pace with ASTM's activity and to contain the page size for better readability. The first installment in August 2008's weekly updates include three revised standards from Committee D35 on Geosynthetics and 15 revised standards and one work item from Committee D18 on Soil and Rock.

Research has found livestock produce about 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gases--more than all sources of transportation combined. In the Marin, California area, they are looking into "cow power"--converting cow waste into sustainable electricity. The technologies have been on the rise, thanks largely to grants. And since waste does not take a break--whereas wind and solar are regularly interrupted--more grants are now available for cow power projects. Learn more here.;

Mining operations in New Zealand are underbonded, many are complaining. Opponents of mining activities are even citing the low bonding issues as evidence of poor enviornmental controls. One project that has been cited is the Newmont Waihi Gold's final bond on the Martha open pit mine. It was capped at $10 million. Watchdogs contend it should have been $100 million, and if it had been it would have had more stringent controls such as geosynthetic liners on the tailings dam. It only has clay. Any environmental damage to the site greater than $10 million will have to be paid for by New Zealand government agencies. Learn more here.;

Montreal (Qc) – 2 April 2014: Solmax is proud to announce that its HDPE geomembrane has recently been added to the New York State Department of Transportation's (NYSDOT) approved material list. The NYSDOT’s...

Sika AG announces that its subsidiary Sika (Japan) Ltd. has acquired the construction sealant business of Henkel Japan Ltd. The acquired business includes the well-known trademarks, Bellace and Duribbon, which are well established in the Japanese construction market with annual sales of JPY 1115 mn (approx. CHF 12.3 mn). With this acquisition, Sika will complement its Sikaflex range and strengthen its market position in the Japanese construction sealant market. Relevant sales and technical employees have agreed to transfer to Sika (Japan) Ltd.

Questioning the practice of engineering has long been part of the geosynthetics field. It is this on-going dialogue and re-evaluation that leads to new manufacturing innovations, better CQA, more...

The long history of water management in the Netherlands has rightfully given it a unique and valued expert status in engineering. Deltares has become one of the leading providers for current and new engineering information. From 25-27 May 2010, Deltares is hosting a three-day course on "Understanding Dike Safety." A focus will be placed on understanding failure, predicting it, and monitoring installations. Participants will see, learn and understand many different failure mechanisms. Learn more at the event website. Learn more here.;

The largest contracted installer of geosynthetic lining materials in the United States, Environmental Specialties International, has added Ryan Bunch to its team as Project Manager. Bunch brings something quite...

Federal officials have approved Monsanto Co.'s plans to expand mining operations in southeast Idaho's phosphate patch after concluding that a $30 million liner and drainage system would adequately protect nearby streams and rivers from selenium and other harmful minerals. The geosynthetic lining system was key to the project's approval. Learn more here.;

ASTM International Committee D35 on Geosynthetics is reaching a major milestone. During the January Committee Week gathering in Houston, Texas, the Committee will mark its 30th anniversary with a...

Geosynthetics magazine editor Ron Bygness reports that the new magazine website will incorporate archives going back to 1998. This is excellent news. Thanks, Ron! Learn more here.;

The city of Franklin, Tennessee's 30-acre reservoir has been leaking for a number of years. An estimated 1 million gallons leaks from it each day. But crews will soon begin to drain the reservoir ahead of a three-month crack repair plan. This involves the installation of a new geomembrane liner for long-term containment and the removal of 26,000 cubic yards of silt to restore the facility to capacity. Learn more here.;

South Africa-based Cape Business News has published an article about the success of PSV Holdings acquisition of Engineered Linings. PSV, which specialises in pumps, valves and spares, paid R40 million to buy out various shareholders in Engineered Linings. Led by Du Toit Viljoen, Engineered Linings supplies and installs geosynthetic liners. The early 2009 numbers from the business have been very satisfying. Learn more here.;

An interesting story has popped up in the 12 February 2010 New York Times. Plastic pipe manufacturer JM Eagle has been accused of falsifying testing reports. A former employee has brought about the case under a "whistle-blower" law. And, as the accusations are related to pipe durability (50 year service life) while the company experienced some failures inside of one year, the suit has gained steam and additional plaintives. The states of Nevada, Virginia, Delaware, and Tennessee and water authorities in California have joined the lawsuit. Learn more here.;

Kuraray Americas EVAL EVOH layer has been proven to be an exceptional barrier to gases, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In geomembranes, EVOH layer greatly enhance the gas barrier performance of the membranes. (Geomembranes in general are engineered for liquid impermeability. Gas transmission rates can remain elevated; hence, the need for improved gas barrier performance.) Learn more about EVOH's role in this updated introduction to EVOH and Geosynthetics from Kuraray America (PDF).

From May 13 – May 22, Geofabrics Australasia is sponsoring an educational seminar series on “Retaining & Hydraulic Structures.” The event will be held in four cities and include...

The International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) charitable fund, Save Our International Land (SOIL), will benefit from part of the proceeds during EC11's golf outing at the Orange County National's "Crooked Cat Course." EC11 will be held 20-23 February 2011 in Orlando, Florida. This highly rated course is only 15 minutes from the conference venue. To learn more about EC11, SOIL's work and the IECA, visit www.ieca.org. Learn more here.;

Companies interested in exhibiting at GeoAfrica 2009, 2-5 September 2009, Cape Town, South Africa should be aware that the exhibit hall is limited to 30 spots. The conference organizers report that more than half of them have already been booked. Visit the conference's exhibitor page for more information. Learn more here.;

The Brownfields 2009 conference brings together approximately 6,000 attendees. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), it seeks to create an exceptional educational experience and welcomes all perspectives on the most important issues facing brownfields practitioners, policy makers, communities and companies. The Call for Ideas will be open through 1 May 2009 for those who would like to propose education programs and presentations. The event will be held in New Orleans 16-18 November 2009. Learn more here.;

The disastrous coal ash spill that occurred a year ago at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston power plant in eastern Tennessee dumped a whopping 2.66 million pounds of 10 toxic pollutants into the nearby Emory and Clinch rivers -- more than all the surface-water discharges from all U.S. power plants in 2007. Learn more here.;

From the arrival of the Romans to the Saxons and Normans clashing upon the shore, and from the Spanish Armada to Napolean and two World Wars, England has a...

After 28 years, the North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS) may be on the verge of a name change. The organization, which is a chapter of the International...

A $735,000 Hennepin County (Minnesota) grant was used to remove contaminants this fall and to reconstruct the steeply sloping Goose Lake shoreline. Geotextiles were used to stabilize the bank. The work was in response to the excavation and removal of about 3,200 tons of debris and contaminated soil discovered during roadwork along Goose Lake in the Elm Creek Park Reserve. The site contained, they found, an old dump. Learn more here.;

Leister Process Technologies, the worldwide leader in plastic welding and hot air equipment announces the opening of its expanded U.S. headquarters outside of Chicago. The new, centrally located facility quadruples Leister's capabilities in North America. Among the new services offered: Complete inventory of Geosynthetic tools for instant availability; Complete spare parts inventory for overnight parts shipping; Complete new service and repair facility; and Complete new training and demonstration space. Read more.

CQA Week was established 10 years ago to provide technically advanced but immediately implementable, revenue-generating expertise for geotechnical engineering businesses. The focus is on providing the type of training that will...